variants
or less commonly grey
1
a
: of the color gray
b
: tending toward gray
blue-gray eyes
c
: dull in color
2
: having the hair gray : hoary
3
: clothed in gray
4
b
: prosaically ordinary : dull, uninteresting
the boring, gray dullness of government—
P. J. O'Rourke
P. J. O'Rourke5
: having an intermediate and often vaguely defined position, condition, or character
an ethically gray area
grayly
adverb
grayness
noun
variants
or less commonly grey
1
: any of a series of neutral colors ranging between black and white
2
: something (such as an animal, garment, cloth, or spot) of a gray color
3
a
: a soldier in the Confederate army during the American Civil War
b
often capitalized
: the Confederate army
variants
or less commonly grey
grayed also greyed; graying also greying; grays also greys
1
: to become gray
2
: age
also
: to contain an increasing percentage of older people
The town's population has grayed over the last two decades.
: to make gray
: the mks unit of absorbed dose of ionizing radiation equal to an energy of one joule per kilogram of irradiated material
—abbreviation Gy
Examples of gray in a Sentence
Adjective
What will you do when you are old and gray?
My friends have all gone gray.
It was a gray winter day.
the gray faces of the people in the crowd
Recent Examples on the Web
Hannah Sacks, People.com, 25 July 2025
Symptoms include coughing or gagging, frothing at the mouth, blue/gray gums and shallow or rapid breathing.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
Carl David Goette-Luciak, Miami Herald, 23 July 2025
Soft whites, grays, and chalky pastels allow the flooring to shine without competing for attention.
—Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 July 2025
ArsTechnica, 30 June 2025
Other southern states, such as Louisiana and Texas, are also experiencing an increase in the number of graying renters.
—Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for gray
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Adjective
Sasha stood in the middle, wearing a gray suit and tan shoes.
—Hannah Sacks, People.com, 25 July 2025
Symptoms include coughing or gagging, frothing at the mouth, blue/gray gums and shallow or rapid breathing.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
Noun
The gilded latticework trimming the balconies around the entrance appeared to be crumbling off, and large stretches of colorful plasterwork have worn away to reveal the chalky gray of lath and structural wood.
—Carl David Goette-Luciak, Miami Herald, 23 July 2025
Soft whites, grays, and chalky pastels allow the flooring to shine without competing for attention.
—Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 July 2025
Verb
But archaeologists have puzzled over exactly how it was made, particularly given the wide range of hues, from deep blue to gray or green.
—ArsTechnica, 30 June 2025
Other southern states, such as Louisiana and Texas, are also experiencing an increase in the number of graying renters.
—Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for gray
Cite this Entry
“Gray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gray. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
gray
1 of 2 noun
variants
or chiefly British grey
: any of a series of neutral colors ranging between black and white
gray
adjective
or chiefly British grey
gray
2 of 2 noun
: the mks unit of absorbed dose of ionizing radiation equal to an energy of one joule per kilogram of irradiated material
—abbreviation Gy
Biographical Definition
Gray
2 of 2biographical name (2)
Thomas 1716–1771 English poet
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